Archaeology Magazine - September 1954 - 49

large amount of decorated sherds scattered about. It belongs mainly to the epoch of Kingdoms and Confederations, although apparently started toward the close of
the epoch of Great Fusion. During our reconnaissance
of La Capilla, we were fortunate enough to discover a
pre-ceramic site some four hundred meters distant,
overlooking the sea. It would seem, therefore, that this
pleasant area of level fields surrounded by low hills
has been constantly occupied from the dawn of Peruvian prehistory to the present time. Unfortunately, we
were unable to discover a site of the Formative epoch,
although it is my opinion that this may exist nearby
where there are several low mounds or huacas. These
are now planted to cotton and investigations must be
deferred until after picking and before planting time.
The ruins of Chuquitanta are among the largest of
stone construction on the Central Coast and appear to
date from the early part of the epoch of Great Fusion,
although the scarcity of sherds makes this identification
uncertain. Actually, in surveying a large number of
Central Coast sites, I have found that this very scarcity
of surface sherds is an indication of Tiahuanacoid I
occupation. These people seem to have been most tidy,
unlike their predecessors and followers, but in such
sites one's patience is usually rewarded by the eventual
finding of a small cache of their unmistakable polychrome sherds. Here at Chuquitanta, the few sherds
were utility ware of a type generally found in association with the Tiahuanacoid I polychrome. The ruins
consist of two immense parallel stone constructions
whose clay binder has completely disintegrated, leaving nothing but tremendous piles of uncut stones. However, examination of aerial photographs gives ample
evidence of the complicated ground plans. At the

southern extremity of these ruins there must once have
been a large pyramidal temple of the same stone and
clay construction. The central courtyard is now planted
to orange groves and artichokes, making it impossible
to investigate.
Pampa de Animas consists of a large cemetery and a
living area of wattle-and-daub houses, their walls showing plainly above the superficial wind-blown sand. It
is dominated by two tapia (poured adobe) structures
of unmistakable Incaic influence. This is borne out by
the potsherds here encountered, which are, at their
earliest, of the latest part of the epoch of Kingdoms
and Confederations and date mainly from the Imperial
epoch. Both Inca-Chancay and pure coastal Inca vessels
are found in quantity, as well as a great number of
amusing and original clay figurines. Nearby is the great
aqueduct of Marquez-Chuquitanta, whose associated
ceramic remnants date from the time of Kingdoms and
Confederations. This has been called by some an "Inca
causeway" but this is most doubtful as it faithfully follows the contours of the valley instead of running
straight like most Inca structures of that type and leads
nowhere except to the irrigated fields at the river's
mouth. Doubtless the aqueduct was still in use in Incaic times and possibly in early colonial times as well,
but if the Incas used it as a causeway they must have
had some lemming blood and have engaged in periodic
marches into the sea! Notwithstanding, it is a most
impressive structure, the most imposing of its kind on
the Central Coast.
* Above the cluster of sites close to the
sea, there is
another group below the neck of the valley. The most
important of these are Infantas, Zapallar, Collique and
Huacoy. Infantas is a cluster of huacas surrounding a

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Archaeology Magazine - September 1954

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